Advocates has sent a letter of support to members of the Illinois House Committee on Transportation: Vehicles & Safety for enactment of House Bill (HB) 2934. This legislation will improve safety by decreasing the default speed limit in urban districts from 30 miles per hour (mph) to 25 mph on arterial roads and to 20 mph on residential roads and reduce the speed limit in an alley from 15 mph to 10 mph. HB 2934 is critical and timely.
Speed is a major contributor to crashes in Illinois. In 2023, of the 1,241 traffic fatalities in the state, 35 percent were speeding related which exceeds the national average of 29 percent. Speeding related fatalities in Illinois increased percent from 2014 to 2023.2 Moreover, urban areas in Illinois are particularly at risk as 66 percent of traffic fatalities occurred in urban areas.3 During the same period fatalities among vulnerable road users (VRUs) increased as well with a 62 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities and a 52 percent increase in bicyclist and other cyclists fatalities.
In addition to the physical and emotional burden, traffic crashes exact a financial toll. Traffic crashes cause nearly $14 billion of economic damage to Illinois annually which is equivalent to a “crash tax” of $1,103 per resident, according to a 2019 analysis. When updated for inflation alone, in 2026, costs would equate to approximately $18.1 billion.
Advancing this legislation will increase safety and decrease crash risk while curbing related costs in Illinois. We urge members to advance HB 2934.
Read the full letter here.